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PAL-V Helicopter Car

The last time you were stuck in traffic for an hour or so on the freeway, did the thought cross your mind that it would have been nice to have had a couple of helicopter blades that you could pop out of the top of your car and lift you up and carry you away. Well, that may not be far away, according to the Netherlands based Terrafugia Inc.'s personal air and land vehicle called the PAL-V. It resembles a helicopter and maneuvers like a car when on land.

We discussed this here on CR4 back in 2007 and some felt that this would never get off the ground, but a recent article in Digital Trends indicates that the PAL-V is nearing production in 2014. It looks like fun, but I am not sure they solved the vibration issues.
They seem to have solved the issues with cornering a three wheeled
vehicle though. We don't yet know how much it will cost, however, I am sure it will start off too high for my pocketbook. They are hoping to attract attention from military and emergency service areas as they may be able to afford the initial cost as it enters the market. This could be a bridge between air and ground transportation, I guess we have to wait and see.

What do you think, is it worth a revisit? Do you think it will fly this time? Sorry for the pun, I just couldn't help myself. I am up for a ride in it though.

Re: PAL-V Helicopter Car

04/24/2013 10:25 AM

That's awesome! Whenever I'm stuck in traffic or waiting to drive somewhere far, I'm typically cursing science for not being able to teleport where I want to go. Since it's not possible - yet (someone is working on that, right?!) - I'd happily drive one of these in the meantime.